Santa Pod Raceway

Venue information

Santa Pod Raceway is situated in Northamptonshire and features an impressive quarter mile racetrack that’s home to European drag racing championships. During a typical season the Raceway hosts over 50 car and bike events, including classic car meets, modified car shows and public track days. The massive Raceway complex attracts huge crowds over the summer months and makes an interesting day out for the family and more of a challenging day out for budding photographers.

Spectators can choose between standing on the huge grass hill to watch the cars hurtle down the track or there’s a massive grandstand opposite. During the busiest days in the racing season it can be difficult to get a space in the grandstand, so it’s best to retreat to the hill, especially in the afternoon by which time the sun has moved around to the opposite side. Many photographers start off by shooting on the grandstand side in the morning and make their way round to the hill by late afternoon to make the most of the light behind the shoulder.

The race paddock, situated behind the grandstand, is often a hive of activity, with racers preparing their cars before venturing out onto the track. This is an excellent area for photographers. There are plenty of opportunities to take portraits of racers alongside their cars and if it’s intricate, detailed shots you’re after this is the area you’ll want to head to. With so much activity on an average race day, it’s well worth studying the race programme beforehand to work out the best photo opportunities. We’d suggest standing roughly halfway down the spectator banking area and then you’ve got good views overlooking the main drag strip and the live action arena to your left.

Be prepared to be a long way from the action; barriers and cordoned-off areas are commonplace at Santa Pod to prevent any harm to the public in the event of an accident. If you want to shoot the heart of the action it’s good advice to pack your superzoom or telephoto lens. During our visit, we mainly used a 100-400mm zoom lens to fill the frame and reverted to a 24-105mm and 85mm prime for the detailed shots in and around the paddock.

If you’re a fan of motorsport and fast paced action, a visit to Santa Pod is well worth the entrance fee. It’s an excellent place to refine your panning technique and it’s also a superb location for documentary photographers who want to record the day’s events through the lens. We advise arriving early and leaving early if you want to miss the huge queues and heavy traffic after the event.

For more information on prices and the racing calendar, visit www.santapod.co.uk

Directions
Santa Pod raceway is roughly 10 miles from Bedford, situated 1500 yards South of the village of Podington. The postcode for the venue is NN29 7XA, but if you don’t own a satnav system you’ll need to head on the A6 North from Bedford. Follow the signs for the village of Wymington, then follow the road to Podington village and at the crossroads take a left, signposted Santa Pod Raceway. If you’re traveling South, take the A6 towards Bedford and follow the signs to the track from the Rushden roundabouts.

Photoanswers Location Rating : 5*